Although conventionally-marketed, hermetically-sealed packages of roasted and ground coffee, such as vacuum packed metal cans, exhibit a pleasant roasted coffee aroma when they are initially opened, it is known that the quality of the aroma within the sealed contained deteriorates with increased storage time. It is also known that most of the aroma within the container is rapidly dissipated when the container is initially opened.
It is quite common for the consumer to retain roasted and ground coffee within its original rigid container until the entire contents of the can are used up. In fact, this practice is encouraged by the coffee manufacturers who are in the habit of supplying plastic reclosure lids for each of the rigid containers which they distribute. These reclosure lids provide the consumer with a convenient means for reclosing the container after it has been opened. Improvements in the design and construction of these reclosure lids, such as the gasketed reclosure lid described in commonly-assigned, U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 488,125 filed July 12, 1974, now abandoned, have made it possible to retain a substantial amount of coffee aromas within the reclosed container. Unfortunately, upon the initial opening of the hermetically-sealed container, a sudden burst of aroma takes place. When the can is subsequently reclosed, an equilibrium of aroma is re-established between the roasted and ground coffee and the available headspace within the container; however, after the initial few openings and reclosures of the can, the available coffee aromas are dissipated. Thus, it is possible that over the latter stages of use the partially full container of roasted and ground coffee will not evolve significant amounts of coffee aroma when the reclosure lid is removed.